St. Mary's School to Break Ground For New Jr High

Local dignitaries, including San Jose Catholic Diocese Bishop Patrick McGrath, Kathy Almazol, the Diocesan superintendent of schools, and Los Gatos officials will join faculty, staff, students, parents and alumni for a groundbreaking ceremony of the new junior high building at St. Mary’s School, 30 Lyndon Ave. at 1 p.m. Friday, May 17.

The current junior high building is more than 50 years old and not suitable for present day needs, school officials said in a press release.

The campus will be torn down before the new building is occupied to allow for additional playground space. St. Mary’s will not be increasing student enrollment.

Since breaking ground for the original school in 1954, St. Mary’s has educated thousands of students from kindergarten through eighth grade in Los Gatos.

"St. Mary’s is viewed as a model for Catholic schools, not only within the San Jose Diocese, but also among the wider Catholic and the local communities," school officials said in the release.

The building of the new Abby Sobrato Junior High School Building is needed to retain a competitive advantage as a premier Catholic school, the released added.

Features include:

• Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade classrooms
• Science Lab
• Dual-purpose art/Spanish room
• A School Library with access for the entire parish

A new day care was constructed three years ago as the first phase of a master plan for the school and parish site. 

It is anticipated that the new junior high building will be finished at the beginning of the 2014 school year.

After this phase is completed, plans are in place to remodel the existing grammar school building as time and funds allow, school officials said.

Planned upgrades for the entire plant such as a new roof and sound system for the church are also in place.

Church officials were able to rezone the 4.18-acre land where the school will be built. The school currently has 296 students.
 
The project's architect is Jeffrey T. Berg with Steinberg Architects.

Nearby resident Annette Nystrom is supporting the project.

In a letter to Los Gatos planners she said she's lived in the neighborhood for more than 40 years and that she hasn't noticed any changes in traffic.

"What is important to remember in this process is that St. Mary's has been in the neighborhood for more than 100 years and has been a huge support to the neighborhood throughout the years," she wrote.

Similarly St. Mary's School parent Nicola Nordmo wrote to planners that she was "thrilled to see this project move forward."

"St. Mary's is a wonderful school, but the actual buildings are extremely outdated and in desperate need of replacement, significant repair and remodel," she said.

Other residents like Valerie Hopkins expressed concerns about the length of the construction and where construction vehicles would park during the work. And MarLyn J. Rasmussen said traffic and parking are going to be problem for residents of Wilder and Tait avenues.